Dutch company Mosa creates ceramic tiles with no waste, no shortage and no limitations, making it the world’s first ceramic tile company to gain full Cradle to Cradle® Silver certification. This year Mosa is celebrating its 10-year anniversary for cradle-to-cradle production.
Design firms around the world are switching to sustainable practices in creating their products without sacrificing good design, and Mosa has been on the forefront of this progressive movement while producing well-designed ceramic tiles made from environment-friendly raw materials, earning the firm a full Cradle to Cradle® Silver Certification for almost all of their ceramic wall and floor tile collections.
Cradle to Cradle Concept and Certification
The Cradle to Cradle concept was developed by Professor Michael Braungart (EPEA) and architect William McDonough (MBDC). It is a sustainable design concept that is based on the unlimited reuse of raw materials and the use of renewable energy while promoting good working conditions in the workplace. The aim of this concept is to have an industrial revolution that creates a positive impact on society, the global economy and the planet through responsible manufacturing and sustainable use of resources.
The Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute (C2CPII) was founded based on this concept in 2011, and Mosa is one of the pioneer members that follow a strict charter that includes adhering to responsible production processes, proper development of new products from reused materials, and providing optimal working conditions in the production facility.
Reusing Raw Materials to Make New Tiles
To this day, Mosa is dedicated to keeping its top position as a responsible and sustainable tile producer that is 100% Cradle to Cradle certified. Their latest wall tile collection called Scenes contain 22% pre-consumer recycled content and their μ [mu] series floor tiles contain 21-45%, making the tiles suitable for reuse in a circular production cycle that recycles production waste and reprocesses secondary materials.
Energy and Water Management
A third of the energy needs of the production facility of Mosa is sustainable and the firm is searching for another alternative source for natural gas which is used to heat their kilns when baking tiles. Mosa has reduced carbon emissions by 48% over the years, with fine particle emissions dropping by 91%.
Water is also on the agenda. They’ll start reusing or evaporating water waste in the production facility of Mosa in the course of this year. They’ll implement a production cycle called closed-loop which implies purifying water on-site; this method will allow Mosa to decrease the need for water by 60%.
Good Working Conditions
Having a Cradle to Cradle Silver certification does not only involve reusing raw materials and saving resources but also having a worksite in optimal conditions. Mosa manufactures its tiles in Eastern Europe where they get 90% of their raw materials in monitored quarries in the region. By producing their tiles locally, they give work and assist local workers, contributing to a better social condition for all.
All of the criteria, from recycling materials to saving energy and water to providing good working conditions make Mosa 100% Cradle to Cradle. And this sustainable design concept that Mosa follows is what we wish for other design and production firms globally to adopt as well in the future.
